“I think it’s very interesting that certain parts of the media have, I don’t want to say purposefully, but let’s just say misrepresented my meaning and exactly what I said,” Knightley said. “So I would suggest to those people in the media that they re-read the entirety of the essay and not just take one bit out of it because the comments that I made are completely about our culture that silences women’s truths and forces us all to hide and I absolutely did not shame anybody in any way, in fact quite the opposite.”

“We stand and watch the TV screen,” Knightley wrote. “She [Kate] was out of hospital seven hours later with her face made up and high heels on. The face the world wants to see. … Hide our pain, our bodies splitting, our breasts leaking, our hormones raging. Look beautiful. Look stylish, don’t show your battleground, Kate. Seven hours after your fight with life and death, seven hours after your body breaks open, and bloody, screaming life comes out.”

At the Film Festival, Knightley urged everyone to read the collection of essays.

“I suggest if you want to know about this then you should actually read the essay and all the others in the book,” she said. “And the wonderful thing is that all the proceeds go to Girl Up which is a phenomenal UN foundation which gives money to organizations that are supporting girls’ education, girls’ safety and girls’ leadership in developing countries.”